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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday while addressing the working session of 15th BIMSTEC ministerial meeting at Kathmandu, said that BIMSTEC enjoys the unique strengths of connecting South and South-East Asia.

The External Affairs Minister said that “for India, BIMSTEC is a natural choice to fulfil our key foreign policy priorities of 'Neighbourhood First' and 'Act East'.”

She also said that with shared histories, values and ways of life, it is the natural platform, to build our common future. She added that BIMSTEC brings together like-minded countries with a common commitment to the prosperity of its people representing one-fifth of world humanity.

The minister said that BIMSTEC is one of the fastest growing regions in the world. She said that our region is vulnerable to a variety of disasters due to its geo-climatic conditions and to build regional capacities, India is hosting the first BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise in October 2017. She said that it will help us develop quicker, coordinated and comprehensive responses to disasters, and provide timely relief and rehabilitation.

Emphasizing on tourism promotion, she said that BIMSTEC specific tourism products, notably the Buddhist circuit, would allow tourists to experience the rich and shared civilizational heritage.

The minister also said that India has further liberalized its tourist e-visa norms, which makes it easier for foreign tourists to visit India’s neighbouring countries when they are on a trip to India.

External affairs minister said that energy is considered the engine of economic development and she is very happy to note that cross-border exchange of power between India, Nepal, Bhutan & Bangladesh is on a rapid upswing. She hoped that BIMSTEC MOU on Grid Interconnection, which has been finalized, would further facilitate regional energy trade.

She added that BIMSTEC has a combined GDP of over USD 2.85 trillion and work on BIMSTEC FTA, BIMSTEC Trade Facilitation Agreement and BIMSTEC Agreement on Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters would fasten trade and must be concluded at the earliest.

She said that to mark the 20th Anniversary, India is undertaking a wide range of initiatives, involving a number of institutions, industry associations, and think-tanks as stakeholders in BIMSTEC.

She said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks forward to attending the fourth Summit, as the country work together to fulfil the aspirations of people with an outcome-oriented and people-centric approach to regional cooperation.